It’s almost time for the 2013 WitOut Awards for Philadelphia Comedy! As we get closer to the show, we’ll be rolling out a series of posts to help you get more acquainted with this year’s nominees. Read all about ‘em, and then be sure to get your tickets for the big event on January 13th at World Cafe Live!

The nominees for Best New Act are:

Davenger
A mix of improv veterans and fresh faces, Philly Improv Theater House Team Davenger likes its improv lean and gamey. Performing the classic Harold format, they attack the stage with emotion, intellect, and a strong sense of mischief.

Gathering talent from the improv, sketch, stand-up and theater worlds, The Flat Earth debuted in 2012 as Philly Improv Theater’s first house sketch team. Their sketch revue show had a five-night run at the Philly Fringe Festival, a two-night encore at the Shubin Theater, and received great praise from audience members they asked in the lobby afterwards.

American Breakfast debuted at Sketch Up or Shut Up in February 2012. Between then and now, they performed irregularly at the Theme Show and were invited to perform at ManiParty, at Camp Woods Plus and at the Shubin Theater. The name reflects their love of this country and its morning-specific food items. They are Sean Landis, Eric Steele, Peter Rambo and Nora Redman.

Daring Daulton is a sketch duo who have been performing in Philadelphia since March of 2012. Both members have a background in film and screenwriting, drawing influences from filmmakers like the Coen brothers, PT Anderson and sketch shows like the Kids in the Hall and Mr. Show. As such, Daring Daulton’s largely character-driven sketches can best be identified by their dark subject matter, absurdist elements and meticulous dialogue.

As the year winds down, WitOut collects lists from comedy performers and fans of their favorite moments, comedians, groups, shows, etc. from the last year in Philly comedy. Top 5 of 2012 lists will run throughout December, and slightly beyond, if we deem it necessary–if you’d like to write one, pitch us your list at contact@witout.net!

In past years, I made it a goal to see every sketch comedy show that went up in Philly at least once. I considered it a duty to support the other sketch groups in town, but I also benefited from seeing what my peers were doing. Often times, they inspired me to write and perform better.

In 2012, it became impossible to see every sketch show in town. I would have had to give up my life and become a full-time sketch comedy audience member, and I don’t think that would have been very lucrative for me. I still make it to most of the shows, and I am still regularly inspired by the talent and brilliance of the people I’m privileged to watch (and sometimes collaborate with).

Here is a list of my favorite sketches by groups that started performing in 2012.

5. American Breakfast – “Prank My Tween”

A TV prank show where parents “prank” their tweens while a camera rolls on their reaction. Only, in this case, all of the pranks are just normal parenting behaviors; the tweens react with disgust because they’re tweens and that’s how tweens act when their patents do anything. I’m a sucker for a simple premise with a truthful observation at the core. This is that.

4. The Specific Jawns – “Rape & Murder Mystery Party”

This sketch was one of many very strong offerings during this year’s Dirtiest Sketch In Philadelphia competition. Specific Jawn Carl Boccuti “hosts” a rape & murder mystery party where he selects a handful of audience members who read aloud from evidence envelopes that they have been given. One by one, each participant reveals further gory (and hilarious) details about the crime, themselves and the song “Two Princes” by the Spin Doctors.

Putting up a sketch that relies on the audience or non-performers to carry the scene can be risky and outside of our comfort zone, but when it works, it can pay out major dividends. Even if it doesn’t win a competition.

3. The Flat Earth – “Sexy Telegraph”

We know that the first message ever sent by telegraph was “What hath god wrought.” We could assume that the second message sent by telegraph was “What are you wearing,” since at the advent of any major technological breakthrough, our first question is “How can we use this to jerk off better?” That was the underlying assumption of “Sexy Telegraph,” where a man and woman engage in erotic telegraphy across the Atlantic (and it escalates over the course of the scene). Physical comedy without dialogue is a rare thing to see on stage in Philly, and it’s rare because it’s hard (and one might argue that it’s hard because we rarely attempt it). Seeing a totally physical/visual sketch done and done well was, for me, delightful.

2. Daring Daulton – “Hammer Store”

Joe Paolucci enters a store to rob the joint with his weapon of choice, a hammer. We eventually learn that the store he is attempting to rob is a hammer store and the man behind the counter (Trevor Cunnion) has a seemingly endless supply of hammers at his disposal. Despite this, Trevor does not immediately do away with the robber but instead attempts to remedy the robber’s insecurities. It gets weird, but in a way that should stand as an example of how to breathe life into what feels like it could be a one-note premise.

1. Dog Mountain – “No More Birthdays”

This is making my list as the best sketch by a new group in 2012, but a case could be made for “No More Birthdays” being the best local sketch of 2012. A man (Dennis Trafny) throws a birthday party for his significant other, but at the stroke of midnight, he demands that both the party and her birthday are over (to a frightening degree). This sketch sticks with me and makes number one on my list because it has almost everything that I look for in a sketch. The performance by Dennis is paramount; he plays a funnier “terrifying” than any human I can think of. Mike Marbach is also a great asset; he may have been born to play a guy being emotionally dismantled.

I performed in my first live sketch comedy show with Secret Pants in 2005. At the time, there was one other sketch group in town (that we knew of), and we never saw or crossed paths with them. Now, almost 2013, there are too many sketch shows to see, five or six new groups in one year, a sketch open mic that is envied in Los Angeles and New York alike, and a sketch comedy community that is growing at a rate that none of us ever imagined. When I sat down to write this list today, I was excited. When I realized that I could write it, I was thrilled. Let’s all raise a glass to more lists.

As the year winds down, WitOut collects lists from comedy performers and fans of their favorite moments, comedians, groups, shows, etc. from the last year in Philly comedy. Top 5 of 2012 lists will run throughout December–if you’d like to write one, pitch us your list at contact@witout.net!

My name is Nora and I am in a sketch group called American Breakfast. I never go to anything or talk to anyone so I am forever having conversations with 3/4 of American Breakfast about who the heck they are talking about. They’ll tell me things like, “He’s a part of [nonsense name]” or “He has brown hair.” Big help, guys. So, here’s my list of the Top 5 Guys Whose Names I Can’t Remember.

1. …Matt?

2. Tall guy. People seem to really like him but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him talk. It would be funny if he had a real squeaky voice.

3. OK this guy has a beard but he’s NOT the other guy with a beard. They both intimidate me.

4. Hat guy. He’s got like… a hat. At least one time I saw him wearing a hat.

5. Dumb face. God this guy’s face is so dumb. Nice guy though.

Nora is a member of sketch group American Breakfast, and far too easy to be Googled to have her last name tied to and held accountable for her illustrious comedy career.

Quick tip pizza gang: Stay warm in the winter by cranking the oven up trying to make pies at home! Doughn’t be afraid to make your own pie – after some work, it will be most rewarding pizza you’ve ever tasted!

Another way to beat the cold is to get a job… at a pizzeria! I got to ham (and pineapple) it up with Nora, Sean, Peter and Eric who comprise local sketch heroes American Breakfast. They will be appearing at THE FINAL CAMP WOODS + on Thursday, December 6th at 8:30 pm We met right before one American Breakfest-er’s shift at Dominic’s in Voorhees, NJ to decimate some pies and talk about Ninja Turtles, Mary Kate and Ashley, and touching family memories. Get with it!

This Thursday L’etage (624 S. 6th St.) will host The Final Camp Woods Plus. The monthly show produced by the sketch group has been a showcase of brand new sketches every month and will culminate with a show featuring New York’s We’re Matt Weir and Philadelphia groups American Breakfast and Daring Daulton.

This Tuesday No. 2(#2)(Number 2) will debut at St. Stephen’s Green (1701 Green St.) The open mic will be hosted by Robert X and Chris O’Conner. Signups begin at 7:30 and the show starts at 8.

In case you missed it, sketch group ManiPedi was featured as the cover story for last week’s Philadelphia Weekly. Pick up a copy while they are still in newsstands around the city and read the article online.

The next Camp Woods Plus at L’etage (624 S. 6th St.) will be next Thursday, December 6th and will feature sketch comedy from New York group We’re Matt Weir as well as Philly groups Daring Daulton and American Breakfast. As always, the show will be headlined with a set of brand new sketches by Camp Woods.